Old Windows & Aquarium Stand = Awesome Buffet

Last week I picked up an old aquarium stand at a thrift shop. It was made of wood so I grabbed it.

In this picture above I had already given it the first coat of paint but the whole thing was that dark brown color you see inside. Since the stand was a little boxy and not too heavy I decided to make some feet to add character and height.

I cut a 2×4 into 4 squares.

Then set the miter saw at a 10 degree angle and chopped one edge of each square of wood. I also cut 4) 1×6’s to screw the 2×4 pieces into. It creates more dimension when stacked and, best of all, it makes attaching the feet to the bottom of the table much easier.

After making pilot holes where the screws were going to go I used 1 5/8 inch screws to attach the two pieces together prior to applying them to the bottom of the stand.

Simple feet that can go on just about any piece of furniture,

It’s really important to pre-drill the screw holes so the wood doesn’t split.

Paint them and you’d never know they weren’t original.

I spray painted the inside black with Rustoleum 2X cover paint.

I found a couple of windows to fill in the two openings at the back. I just had to cut the wood frames down a little bit so they would fit.

On the opposite side, which was probably the front, it has working doors that open. I put a 1×8 inside for a shelf with corner brackets. The top is just 3) 1x’s cut to size and stained in Minwax Ebony. The whole thing is sealed in polycrylic.

There it is….

I was going to take it to the shop to sell but maybe I will hang on to it for a while. It looks great against our black wall (link). I could use it as a curio cabinet for fragile things or maybe a china cabinet? White dishes would look nice in there.

The feet make a huge difference in giving the piece more unique style.

I like furniture that is painted but still shows real stained wood on the top. That was a fun project for me to do. Thanks for viewing it. I hope you find inspiration to create something of your own.

Holly, I have an old dresser downstairs that I have been wanting to add some feet to. This piece has really inspired me. I had never thought of making them myself. I may end up buying some at Home Depot and see how that works out. Looks great. I loved the above comment that you are officially the furniture Whisper. So true!!!! love ya, mom